Curtis Cokes vs. Ted Whitfield

Curtis Cokes 148 lbs beat Ted Whitfield 147 lbs by KO at 1:12 in round 3 of 10

• Date: 1967-02-20
• Location: Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas, USA
• Referee: Pat Riley

• Cokes used a right uppercut to knock out Whitfield.

• Source: Dallas Morning News

"Boston's Ted Whitfield became the 25th knockout victim of welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in Monday night's scheduled 10-round non-title bout. Cokes felled Whitfield with a right uppercut just a minute deep into the 3rd round and referee Pat Riley called it a knockout at 1:12 of the round when Whitfield was slow in getting off all fours as the timekeeper tolled the count. Whitfield and his corner complained bitterly that Riley had stopped the bout too soon and that the New Englander was not hurt and ready to go. Cokes, 148 to Whitfield's 147 1/2, was not perturbed by the finish that brought boos from a crowd of 5,000." -United Press International

• It was stated that this was the first knockdown Whitfield suffered in 30 professional fights.

Post-fight comments

• "He was inexperienced and didn't realize that he should have been up on his feet at the end of the mandatory eight-count. He waited just a little too long, although I think he was up at the count of ten." -Johnny Dunn, Whitfield's trainer

• "I wasn't hurt. I was dazed at first, but I heard the referee at the count of four, and I started to get up then. When he stopped the fight I was stunned. I thought he was fixing to wipe my gloves." -Ted Whitfield

• "I hit him real good. That was one of the hardest uppercuts I've thrown since the Luis Rodriguez fight." -Curtis Cokes